Pedal control for automobiles.



R. T. PEIRCE.

PEDAL CONTROL FOR AUTOMOBILES.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY15,1914. I q 1 1 g" lfifi Pa t-6mm Apn 2?, i915 2 SHEET$--$HEET 1.

wirwamn R. T. PEIRCE.

PEDAL 005mm FOR AUTOMOBELES.

APPLICATION FILED Ell/W15 1914.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m. 0 v m a 0 M w WU ROBERT '1. EEIRCE, OF NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

PEDAL CONTROL FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed May 15, 1914-.

To all 'LLltt/I/t it may concern Be it known that I, Roman'r PEIRCE, citizen of the United States, residing at NewportNews, in the county of lVarwicl: and Stateof Cirginia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Pedal Control for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in control mechanisms for self-propelled vehicles of the gasolene type, the primary object of my invention being the Construction of co-acting clutch and brake pedals in such a manner that while the clutch pedal may he independently operated, pressure applied to the brake pedal, to apply the brakes, will also operate the clutch pedal to release the clutch. The importance of this will he r adily understood in View oi the fact that brakes should never. be applied without first releasing the clutch. Furthermore, it is oftentimes desirable to operate the foot controlled thrott e lever or accelerator pedal ii'i'nnediately after application of the lorakes and as the clutch pedal is being gradually released. It is therefore necessary, at times, to operate three pedals almost simultaneously vvhich is practically impossible if all of the pedals are separately operated. With my invention it is possible to operate'the accelerator pedal with one foot While the brake and clutch pedals are simultaneously operated with the other.

A still further ohjectoi my invention is to accomplish the above result. Without in any Way changing the structure of cit-her the brake or clutch operating mechanism itself.

With these and other objects in View, my invention will be more fully desm'ihed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the.draWings:Figure 1 is a. fragmentary perspective view showing one method of operating the clutch pedal by operation of thebrake pedal; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the form of -mechanism shown in Fig. 1, showing the 50 connections between the brake, clutch and accelerator pedals and the brake, clutch and accelerator mechanisms. Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary front elevation, partially in sec-- tion or the form of pedal mechanism shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the adj ustmeiit mechanism.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2?, i915. Serial No. 838,799.

Cm'respondi11g and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views oi the drawiin's by the same reference characters.

In the dtawings, 10 indicates the foot board of afconventioinll motor vehicle ll,- this loot hoard being slotted at 12 for the passage of the shank 13 of the clutch pedal l-land further slotted at 15 for the passage of the shank portion 16 of the brake pedal 17. The foot board is further apertured at 18 for movement of the shank portion 19 of the foot controlled throttle lever or accelerator pedal 20, this accelerator pedal being shown merely to bring out the advantage in the clutch and brake pedal structure.

As clearly shown in Fig. l. the foot pieces of the clutch and brake pedals ll and 17 are so formed that the latter overlaps a portion of the former, whereby any pressure exerted against the brake pedal 17 will also be applied to the clutch pedal In .oller to prevent any possibility of the operatia'ls.ioot slipping on the brake ppllal, when holy the clutch pedal is to be used.-tliat edge 01' the brake pedal overlapping the clutch pedal is provided with an upstanding flange or shoulder 21.

As best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawingis,

the shank 13 of the clutch pedal ll is pivoted ad acent its lower end .upon a transpedal is pivotally connected at its lower end to a bell crank leverv 26 mounted upon a shaft 27 and operatively connected by its free arm to a throttle control r0. to the carburetor.

The alcove description. taken in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, will clearly disclose the operation of my control mechanism. it will licciear that 'n'essure exerted directly upon the clutch pedal 14 will free the clutch in the usual manner 28 leading.

Without in any Wayaffecting the brake pedal "17 Q11 the other hand, pressure applied to the bralre pedal 1'7 will also he applied to the clutch pedal 1% with the result that the clutch will be simultaneously released upon application of the brakes. For this reason it is possible to press down upon the accelerator pedal at the same time the brakes are being released and the clutch let in, an operation which is highly desirable and which cannot be accomplished with control mechanisms now in use.

-Although I have illustrated and described my invention in all its details, it will of course be understood that I do not wish to be limited to such details as any changes, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made at any time without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of my invention. Furthermore, I do not Wish to limit myself to the application of coacting pedals in a self-propelled vehicle control mechanism as I reserve the right to employ either of the above described mechanisms for other purposes than that of controlling automobiles.

In many cases it may be found advisable to provide for relative adjustment between the clutch and brake pedals and such adjustment is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in detail in Fig. 8. This adjustment comprises one or more adjusting screws 37 which are threaded upwardly through that portion of the clutch pedal foot piece overlapped hy the foot piece of the brake pedal to engage against the under face of the brake pedal, these adjustingsorews being" secured in. adjusted position by lock nuts 38. As-will be readily understood, proper setting of these adjusting screws will take up any independent movement of the pedals, other than that desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a self-pr0pelled vehicle, the comhination with a clutch operating mechanism and a brake operating mechanism, of a clutch pedal and a brake pedal operatively connected to such mechanisms and each having a foot piece, the foot piece of the brake pedal. partially overlapping the foot piece of the clutch pedal, that edge of the foot piece of the brake pedal overlapp 1, the foot piece of the clutch pedal having an upstanding flange.

2. In a self propelled vehicle, the comhination with a clutch pedal and a brake ROBERT T. PEIBCE.

Witnesses ELBERT NEASEN, JAMES A. Wnrrn. 

